Ear Expansion: Intervals
Learn all about intervals, and why they are important throughout music.
After completing this module: you will understand what intervals are and how recognising them will help you to be more musical.
Intervals are the building blocks of your core musical sense of relative pitch.
Doing interval ear training empowers you to understand the notes you’re hearing and the relationships between them, so that you can play by ear and improvise more easily. It also builds up your appreciation and understanding of chords (harmony) in music.
Benefits
- Hear melodies and harmonies more clearly
- Judge leaps in pitch more accurately
- Improvise more freely and confidently
- Sight sing more easily
Module Preview
Introduction
Watch the module’s introduction video to learn what interval ear training is all about and why it is so much more than just abstract music theory.
Plus, you’ll get the top two tips for learning intervals!
Why do Intervals Ear Training
There are three very good reasons to learn interval recognition. Do you know what they are?
Hint: One of them is particularly important for singers!
How to do Intervals Ear Training
Some students think there is only one way to learn to recognise intervals. In fact there are three which we recommend!
You’ll want to try each of them, as a combination of the approaches tailored to your needs and experience is what will work best.
Interval Ear Training Tips
Don’t make the mistakes everybody makes when learning intervals – and discover the tips which will help keep your interval ear training really progressing fast.
These interval “Do”s and “Don’t”s will set you straight.
Listen to Examples
Listen to specially created musical examples which demonstrate the different types of intervals and the 3 forms an interval can take.
You’ll also hear how to dissect melodies and chords into their intervals by ear.
Try It!
Time to start putting your new-found interval recognition skills to the test!
These simple exercises will let you begin training your ear for intervals right away.
Quiz
Check your new interval knowledge using the end-of-module quiz.